He Longs to be Gracious

I had one of those moments recently. You know, when someone treats you inconsiderately, and you feel upset even though in the big picture it’s not that important. Your head tells you it’s not a big deal and to let it go. Your emotions tell you what the person did wasn’t ok, and you have a right to be upset.

In that moment, as I battled between wanting to let it go and wanting to stay upset, I prayed. “Lord, please help me want to be gracious.” 

The answer to my prayer? 

“Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!” –Isaiah 30:18 (NIV)

The Holy Spirit immediately flashed this verse across my mind. And I was stunned speechless.

God LONGS to be gracious to me.

I suddenly realized that in every moment for all of history, God wanted to be gracious. He never had to wrestle with whether to forgive or to stay angry. He never had to talk Himself into being gracious. He longs to be gracious. Always. No matter the offense. 

Jesus paid the price for all sin at the cross. God’s justice has been satisfied. This verse from Isaiah shows that God’s grace and His justice are not in conflict. He is both the God of justice and the God of all grace. And He stands eagerly ready and waiting to give grace to all who come to Him.

Does this stun you like it did me? It should.

We don’t ever have to wonder if God gets tired of our failures and sins. The truth is He longs to be gracious to us. 

Merriam Webster defines “longs” as “to feel a strong desire or craving.”

God is waiting for us to come to Him, wanting to pour out His grace on us. Jesus desires that everyone would come to Him and receive from Him grace upon grace.

A simple definition of grace is undeserved kindness. Of course, God’s grace is much more than that. It covers every need we could possibly have. In Christ, we will always encounter grace when we come to God, no matter what. 

Even beyond that, God can transform us so that we also desire to be gracious toward others. That’s what I pray for. Not just a grudging forgiveness toward others, but a heart that truly longs to extend God’s grace to them. After all, with such a revelation of God’s ever-gracious heart toward us, how can we not long for His grace to flow through us?

Whatever you’re going through, I hope you’ll take a few minutes today and ponder this profound truth: God longs to be gracious to you. 

And He longs to be gracious through you and I as well. What a Savior! 

“For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.” –John 1:16 (NASB)